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Wednesday, June 07, 2017

On June 6, 2017, a federal jury in Camden, New Jersey,
convicted defendants Michael Wood, 53, and Mary Wood, 45, of Mullica Hill, New
Jersey, on charges arising from a scheme to smuggle a young Kenyan woman into
the United States and harbor and exploit her for domestic labor in their New
Jersey home.Both defendants were
convicted of alien harboring for financial gain and conspiracy.Mary Wood was also convicted of fraudulently
obtaining naturalization as a United States citizen by falsely denying
involvement in the criminal scheme, and was acquitted on one count of making
false statements in connection with the investigation.Acting Assistant Attorney General Tom Wheeler
of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, and Special Agent in Charge
Marlon V. Miller of ICE Homeland Security Investigations Philadelphia,
announced the convictions.

According to evidence presented in court and other documents
filed in connection with this case, the defendants traveled to Kenya and
recruited a young woman, identified as P.I. in court documents, to care for
their four minor children in New Jersey.In August 2005, Michael Wood provided P.I. with his adult daughter’s
British Passport and directed her to memorize the information and pretend to be
the daughter.Upon entering the United
States, Michael Wood presented the British Passport to immigration authorities
and represented P.I. as his daughter.

Once in New Jersey, the defendants required P.I. to clean
the house, do the laundry, cook, and care for the four minor children.She was responsible for being on call 24
hours a day, seven days a week, for which the defendants paid her a mere $200 a
month. Evidence at trial revealed that
the defendants would have been required to pay her approximately $5,200 a month
pursuant to applicable U.S. labor laws.As demonstrated at trial, in order to conceal P.I. from authorities, the
defendants did not permit her to leave the house except to walk the children to
school and instructed her not to talk to anyone outside of the house or
family.In June 2006, Mary Wood’s sister
and other family members moved P.I. to their homes, where they continued to
harbor her and exploit her domestic labor, until P.I. managed to leave in 2011,
prompting the subsequent federal investigation.

“The defendants acted out of greed and circumvented
immigration law to exploit the domestic labor of a young Kenyan woman, for
minimal pay,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Wheeler.“Today’s verdict sends a clear message that
the Department of Justice will continue to seek justice on behalf of vulnerable
individuals and will hold defendants who violate our laws accountable for their
crimes.”

“HSI special agents will continue to vigorously pursue those
who think the law does not apply to their criminal acts,” said Special Agent in
Charge Miller. “We are resolute in our efforts to hold accountable the
perpetrators who attempt to circumvent United States law by participating in
alien harboring and domestic labor exploitation schemes.This verdict underscores the necessity of the
public's awareness of these schemes and importance to bring justice to the
victims."

The defendants face a maximum sentence of ten years’
imprisonment for alien harboring for financial gain and conspiracy, and Mary
Wood faces ten years’ imprisonment for naturalization fraud.Sentencing has been scheduled for September
7, 2017.

Six additional defendants, including members of Mary Wood’s
family, who continued to harbor P.I. from 2006 to 2011 previously pleaded
guilty in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania to charges related to their
roles in the continuing scheme.